Four Deseret News editors will assume new positions at the newspaper on July 1, Wm. James Mortimer, editor and publisher, announced Tuesday.
The changes in assignments come as a result of the retirements of Managing Editor J Malan Heslop and Assistant Managing Editor Dale Bain.City Editor LaVarr Webb will become the new managing editor. He will be replaced as city editor by Richard D. Hall, who is presently associate city editor.
World and National Editor Don Woodward will become the new executive news editor/assistant managing editor. He will be replaced as world and national editor by Jon Ringwood, who is presently associate editor of the Today section.
Mortimer said that Webb, as managing editor, will have charge of the overall editorial production of the newspaper, supervising the news departments, feature section, sports, library, art department, photo department, newspaper-in-education and pagination.
Woodward, as executive news editor/assistant managing editor, will closely supervise the paper's two main news departments, working with the city editor and world and national editor to determine A1 stories and general news play each day. He will also be responsible for newspaper space allocation, and page and copy flow.
As city editor, Hall will be responsible for statewide local news, directing a staff of reporters and editors and determining play of stories on local news pages.
Ringwood, as news editor, will be responsible for world and national news from the paper's wire services. He will direct his assistants, plus copy desk editors, and determine play of stories on national and international news pages.
Heslop, 64, who retires June 30, has worked for the Deseret News for 40 years. He started as a photographer and was chief photographer for 20 years. He was church news editor for 10 years and has been managing editor for 10 years.
Bain, 64, will retire July 31, but will work on special projects and help with the transition during July. He has also worked for the Deseret News for 40 years, beginning on the sports desk as makeup editor and ski and prep sports writer. He has worked most of his career in the copy desk/news desk operation, working as chief copy editor, assistant wire editor, wire editor and news editor. He has been assistant managing editor for most of the past year.
Webb, 37, has been at the Deseret News for 12 years, working as a general assignments reporter, assistant city editor, political editor (for eight years) and city editor for the past year and a half.
Woodward, 52, is a 27-year Deseret News veteran, beginning on the copy desk and as a general-assignments reporter. He was business editor for 10 years, associate city editor for four years, Today Section editor for 10 years, and has been news editor for the past eight months.
Hall, 34, began his 14 years at the newspaper as a copy courier. He worked as a general-assignments reporter and then was state editor for five years. He has been associate city editor for the past year and a half.
Ringwood, 38, has worked for the Deseret News for 15 years, also starting as a copy courier. His experience includes sports writer, copy editor, copy chief and wire news editor. Most recently he has been Today section associate editor.